The finalists for the 2013 National Apprenticeship Awards have been revealed, with 27 companies and individuals in the running for national recognition.
The Awards, run by the National Apprenticeship Service, recognise excellence in two areas: businesses that grow their own talent with apprentices and apprentices who have made a significant contribution to their workplaces.
This year, the Award winners will be recognised alongside Innovia Films, the winners of the Brathay Apprentice Challenge – the search for the official apprentice team of the year.
The overall winners will be announced at The Skills Show at the NEC in Birmingham on 14th November.
The Skills Show, which has City & Guilds and Edge Foundation as its premier sponsors, is the nation’s largest skills and careers event and is helping to shape the future of a new generation. The show provides hands-on experiences that inspire young people to explore further education, skills and Apprenticeships.
Individual finalists
| Category | Apprentice | Employer | Town |
| learndirectIntermediate Level | Toby Schofield | Brooks Lane | Chichester |
| Lydia Webster | Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust | Truro | |
| Michelle Sawyer | Wolverhampton Homes | Wolverhampton | |
| EALAdvanced Level | Sarah Ratcliffe | Sarah’s Hair | Bolton |
| Ben Coope | Derry Building Services Ltd | Newark | |
| Sadie Hawkins | IBM United Kingdom Ltd | Winchester | |
| UnileverHigher Apprentice | Emma Calver | British Telecom | Ipswich |
| Jessica Kirby | Cirkle Communications | Beaconsfield | |
| Natasha Pitts | Dale Power Solutions Ltd | Scarborough | |
| City & GuildsApprenticeship Champion of the Year | Nichola Mitchell | BAE Systems | Blackburn |
| Chloe Gailes | Barclays Bank PLC | Knutsford | |
| Karen Lowry-Hall | The Community Housing Group | Kidderminster |
Employer finalists
| Category | Company name | Main location |
| Jaguar Land RoverSmall Employer of the Year (1 – 24 employees) | Elements lifestyle | Oxted |
| Fairfield Control Systems Limited | Newark | |
| Smart Assessor | Rugby | |
| Nuclear Decommissioning Site Licence CompaniesMedium Employer of the Year (25 – 249 employees) | Barlows UK Ltd | Malpas |
| Liebherr Sunderland Works Ltd | Sunderland | |
| Walter Smith Fine Foods Limited | Birmingham | |
| BAE SystemsLarge Employer of the Year (250 – 4,999 employees) | BAM Nuttall Ltd | Camberley |
| ITV plc | London | |
| Kier North Tyneside Ltd | North Tyneside | |
| LivityMacro Employer of the Year (5000+ employees) | BT | London |
| Capgemini UK | Woking | |
| Greene King plc | Bury St. Edmunds | |
| Investors in PeopleApprenticeship Newcomer | Gordons LLP | Bradford |
| HSBC Bank plc | Birmingham | |
| PwC | London |
Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock congratulated the finalists on their success: “The finalists in the National Apprenticeship Awards demonstrate how Apprenticeships deliver for employers, young people, adults and the economy. They represent the very best of employers and apprentices in this country and set a hugely positive example for other individuals and organisations to follow.”
Karen Woodward from the National Apprenticeship Service, added: “An Apprenticeship is a way for young people and adult learners to earn while they learn in a real job, gaining a real qualification and a real future and it is only the nation’s top apprentices, who through hard work and determination, have made outstanding contributions in their workplaces, that get this far.
“Meanwhile, hiring apprentices helps businesses to grow their own talent by developing a motivated, skilled and qualified workforce and it is only those employers who put Apprenticeships right at the heart of their organisation that make it through to this stage. All our finalists should be very proud of their achievements and we wish them all every success for 14 November.”
For more information visit apprenticeships.org.uk
